Southwest Dairy Day Features Spandet Dairy Tour

HART – The annual Southwest Dairy Day will be held on May 27 at the Spandet Dairy near Hart, according to Texas AgriLife Extension Service dairy specialists.

"Southwest Dairy Day is an annual event conducted by the AgriLife Extension dairy team," said Dr. Ellen Jordan, AgriLife Extension dairy specialist from Dallas. "It rotates locations throughout the state to address new technologies that meet the needs of the industry and features an area dairy that has adopted some of those technologies."

This year's program will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 27 at the Spandet Dairy, owned by the Schilderink family. The dairy is located about halfway between Dimmitt and Hart on the west side of State Hwy. 194 along County Road 518. The event is free and lunch will be provided by Sweet Bran, Intervet/Schering-Plough and Vi-COR.

During the event, visitors will be able to:

-- Tour a cross-ventilated barn for 5,500 milking cows.

-- See a 6,000-head dry-lot heifer facility.

-- Observe a 100-cow rotary parlor in action.

-- View the latest in cow comfort and cooling.

-- Visit with vendors displaying their products.

A cross-ventilated barn smoke-test demonstration will be held, as well as demonstrations on improving irrigation pump efficiency and the latest in manure and sand separation, Jordan said.